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Vision paper released: A cooperative vision for the collaborative economy

Today, Cooperatives Europe released its vision paper titled ‘A cooperative vision for the collaborative economy.’ The publication was presented at the conference by the same name at the European Parliament, hosted by MEP Nicola Danti (Rapporteur on Collaborative Economy) and Cooperatives Europe.

An answer to the communication of the European Commission “A European Agenda for the Collaborative Economy”, the vision paper analyses the current climate, elaborates on prospects and barriers and proposes a new definition for collaborative economy. The document envisions the collaborative economy as an opportunity to strengthen the European Single Market through an ambitious, harmonised strategy that aims to untap the socio-economic potential while tackling threats and negative effects.

The pinnacle of the paper is the input of the European cooperative movement for a set of recommendations aimed at the European institutions, urging them to “shape a responsible, sustainable and community-driven collaborative economy, aimed at benefiting all European citizens”. The vision paper also calls for the establishment of a large-scale and ambitious public-private partnership between the cooperative movement and European institutions to build a more supportive environment for community-based and democratic organisations, allowing the collaborative economy to unleash its full potential.

Jean-Louis Bancel, President of Cooperatives Europe, commented: “The collaborative economy is booming, and our responsibility is to create a positive ground to enable its maturation and sustainability. This vision paper demonstrates the importance of a cooperative-based collaborative economy to reconnect people and their communities at a time when creating social cohesion is needed more than ever. I am looking forward to working with European stakeholder and policy-makers on an ambitious project for the future of collaborative economy.”

MEP Nicola Danti, added: "The collaborative economy can represent a big opportunity for the European cooperative movement to reinvent, and benefit from the the technological revolution. At the same time, cooperatives can provide added value for a balanced and sustainable development of this new phenomenon."